Roads ministry to launch two mobile apps

The road transport and highways ministry is set to launch two mobile applications e-Challan and m-Parivahan - for the convenience of drivers and law enforcement agencies.

E-Challan, which is a comprehensive digital solution for transport enforcement and traffic police is integrated with Vahan and Sarathi applications, and provides several user friendly features covering major functionalities of the traffic enforcement system.

''It will provide improved transparency by connecting all stakeholders through a common system and ensuring data integrity. It will also provide ease of operations, efficient monitoring through digitisation of records that will enhance the visibility of offenders; and overall better traffic management,'' according to a statement from road transport and highways ministry.

m-Parivahan, a citizen centric app would facilitate access to various transport related services and provides for virtual driving licence and registration certificate through back end connection to Transport National Register.

If a vehicle number is entered into the app, it will give full details of the car and the owner, including his DL and RC. This will provide a way to check genuineness of a vehicle and driver, help in passenger safety when hiring a driver or when buying a second hand vehicle,'' the statement added.

However, the user would need to be registered so that his credentials could be established, and one of the ways of doing this would be through an Aadhar based OTP.

The app would be of use to Good Samaritans as it would allow them to report accidents by clicking pictures and reporting to traffic authorities in states and to RTOs. Traffic violations can also be reported with the app. The transport ministry would ask states to provide linkages to the integrated ambulance service to help accident victims.

Till now, e-challan system had been implemented in states such as UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Delhi and Maharashtra. This would likely be extended to Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam and Mizoram in the near future.